CHURCH NEWS

Prayer Ministry

St. Augustine of Canterbury is a praying church. We are blessed with prayer warriors who faithfully intercede for the needs of others, those known and unknown. We also joyfully share thanksgivings; weeping with those who weep, watching with those who wait and rejoicing with those who celebrate. We do not do this on our own authority but simply lift them to the Lord and trust in His grace and boundless love.

This is not a prayer chain. You are not required to pass the prayers on to someone else or follow a prescribed formula of petition; but only to entrust them to God. If you would like to participate in this ministry or if you have concerns that you would like to share in prayer; please either contact the church office, (secretary.staugustines@gmail.com, leave a message 850-939-2261), or email Charleen Clark (charleenclark1945@gmail.com; phone 850-291-4784.

Even if you cannot actively participate in this ministry please pray for the prayer’s warriors, asking for their discernment and protection.

“Jesus Christ carries our intercessions for us in heaven; the Holy Ghost carries our intercessions in us on earth; and we the saints have to carry on intercessions for all of us.” -Oswald Chambers

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Food Bank Donations

One of St. Augustine’s most effective outreach ministries is our contributions to the WeCare Food Bank. WeCare is a ministry of the Navarre Methodist Church that serves the entire Navarre area. Staffed by volunteers, they operate a thrift shop six days a week, a food pantry and emergency assistance with utilities.

We collect non-perishable food and personal care products every week to contribute to this valuable year-round ministry. There is a basket in the narthex where you may put your contributions. Our resident angel, Sally Strickling, boxes the food and transports it to WeCare twice a month or whenever we have collected enough food to fill a box or two.

Items that are always needed are canned fruit, cereals, pasta and sauce, peanut butter and macaroni and cheese. Items such as paper towels and toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, diapers, women’s hygiene items, and cleaning supplies are not covered by government assistance programs but are vital to families in need.

As affluent as this community appears, we have many who fall between the cracks. We have a significant number of children in our school system who qualify for free breakfast and lunch. We have two programs that send food home for these children so that they may eat on the weekends. WeCare assists these programs as well as those who are homeless or under-employed. Our contributions are significant. Last month we contributed 80 pounds of food even though we had contributed heavily to the holiday collections and the hurricane relief efforts.

This has been a difficult year. Food donations are down because of the tremendous need of our neighbors to the east who were impacted by hurricane Michael. We are now coping with many who have been affected by the government shutdown.

Please consider these needs every time that you grocery shop. One can of beans or applesauce may mean little to you but it could to a hungry child. We are fortunate that our local stores frequently offer BOGO specials which allow you to buy what you need and one to share.

“If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “ Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”:                                                                                              James 2:15-17

Thank you to everyone who is bringing food for the food bank. They are very grateful every time I go there with a trunk full of supplies.

It makes me very proud of our little church, we may be small but we are mighty in our generosity.

The need is still great so keep up the good work, they especially need toilet paper, jelly to go with the peanut butter, mac and cheese, and cereal.

Let us continue to do our part to feed the hungry.

Thank you,
Sally Strickling

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Update on Amy

This is an update on Amy the prison inmate, we have been praying for and writing to, for two years now. She was moved to the Hernando facility before Christmas, which is a smaller facility but has since been returned to Lowell at Ocala. She explained she was not ready for the strict rules and discipline at
Hernando, which is intended to prepare prisoners for an upcoming release, since she still has over 20 years to go, it was not the place to go. On her return to Lowell, she was put in a different section of the facility. Which seems to be better for her.

She has signed up for all the classes she can take, they last for six weeks, so help pass the time, one is a Basic life Seminar, and one is Christ Behind Bars.  She attends religious services but is concerned that some are not truly Biblical. I get the impression she is growing in her faith.

She is very grateful for any communication from us at St. Augustine's, she considers us her family.  She is also grateful for our prayers, she prays for the people on our prayer list, and has even asked that we pray for her mother, who refuses to communicate with her.

I send her some of the inserts from our bulletins, but I assure you I do not send her anything that would have a full name on it, just first names.  So if you would like to send Amy a note or even a postcard, she loves postcards, just sign your first name and use the church's address for your return address.

Contact us for her address.

-Sally Strickling